Assembly apparatus for modular components especially for upholstered furniture

ABSTRACT

A connector assembly is used to connect subassemblies such as parts of a knockdown or modular sofa or similar item of furniture. The furniture item can be an upholstered item in which the multiple components are stackable into a volume that is smaller than the assembled item of furniture for shipping. The connector assembly includes a keyhole slot on a frame member in one component and a male connector assembly on a frame member in the other assembly. The male connector includes a sleeve with a cylindrical shank and an adjacent enlarged or conical portion, and the sleeve, which may be plastic, is mounted the bolt. The narrow section of the keyhole slot has a beveled surface and as the sleeve progresses into the narrow section, engagement of the conical sleeve section with the beveled slot surface tightens the two members being attached.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus suited for field assembly ofmanufactured items, especially for use with ready to assemble, modularor knockdown upholstered furniture. This invention also relates toconnectors comprising male fasteners that can be inserted into keyholeslots both to lock components together and to tighten the connectionbetween the components to form a sturdy final assembly.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Knockdown, ready-to-assemble (RTA) or modular are terms employed todescribe furniture in which components or subassemblies aremanufactured, packaged and then shipped, with final assembly normallybeing left to the purchaser. The advantages of employing items of thistype include the ability to reduce transportation costs as well as topass the cost of final assembly to the purchaser. However, thedisadvantages include: inferior quality associated with eitherinadequate stability or exposed exterior connectors that detract fromthe appearance; the limitations on aesthetic designs imposed byconcealing connecting methods inside an upholstered item; and theinability to realize enough savings from reduced transportation costsand purchaser's assembly to overcome the extra manufacturing costsrelated to an RTA upholstered item.

The globalization of furniture manufacturing has magnified theimportance of the cost of shipping finished product to a global retailmarket. The profitability and subsequent successful utilization of mostRTA systems hinge upon the total savings from reduced transportationcosts and assembly by purchaser being at least equal to and preferablygreater than the extra costs of manufacturing an item employing an RTAsystem. The most successful knockdown, ready-to-assemble or modularfurniture items tend to be products, such as tables, desks and chairs.

The primary advantage of shipping these items in an unassembled state isthe large reduction of the cubic volume of the parts relative to theassembled item. Tables when assembled are mostly space. When theunassembled parts are packaged, there are significant savings intransportation costs which offset the extra expense of employing theextra RTA engineering and manufacturing costs. For example: a diningtable 48″×4″×30″ equals about 40 cubic feet of shipping volume. The sametable, (depending on its design) could easily be packaged in anunassembled state in a box 70% smaller, requiring 12 cubic feet ofshipping. The difference of 28 cubic feet of shipping volume, at a costof $2.00 per cubic foot, (current overseas container shipping costs),translates into an initial savings of $56.00 per table. The economicaladvantages of this smaller package are further increased if additionaltransportation and warehousing costs are considered.

It is much more difficult to reduce the cubic feet of an upholstereditem of furniture because the volume required by the structure of theframe, the foam and cushions is significantly greater in proportion tothe total volume of the assembled item in comparison to a table. MostRTA upholstered systems enhance the ability to handle the individualcomponents for final delivery in tight quarters, but do notstrategically address critical shipping logistics. The ability to breakan upholstered item down into individual parts does not automaticallytranslate into significantly reducing shipping costs. U.S. Pat. No.5,678,897 is an example of a system that comprises components that canbe shipped in an unassembled manner. However, this prior art approachdoes not appear to greatly reduce the volume in which this item can beshipped.

Tables and similar items which successfully employ RTA systems aregenerally made of solid components such as wood, metal and cast resin.The leg and support members by reason of the openness of the structureafford easy access for assembly. Upholstered furniture is however moredifficult to fabricate by this method because the access to connectingfasteners hidden inside of the upholstered components is limited. Inaddition if accepted standards of quality and the performance of seatingproducts which are subjected to the stress and constant movement of oneor more person's full weight are to be achieved, the fasteners orconnectors must be reliable and considerably stronger than thoseemployed in lighter duty applications. Some upholstered furniture doesemploy fasteners or connectors for the final steps of assembly. Forexample, the backs of recliners are typically assembled to the base withco-operable metal fasteners. However, significant assembly of the othercomponents are necessary, and even the final assembly of the reclinerback is not normally considered to be a final assembly step, nor are therecliner bases and backs shipped separately. Modular sofas also commonlyemploy metal fasteners to prevent adjacent modular components fromslipping apart, but the individual modular sofa units are typicallyfully manufactured in a factory, and the purpose of modularity is toallow the purchaser to arrange the modular components in differentconfigurations. The connectors are primarily intended to stabilize theunits that are positioned side by side. In each of these configurationsalmost all of the manufacturing is completed in a factory setting.

There have been suggestions for field assembly of upholstered furniture.U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,897 is one example of ready to assembly upholsteredfurniture. That device is an example of a device in which multiplespecial connectors are needed to attach sofa arms to a sofa back and toa sofa deck, and it is apparent that special attention to the manner inwhich cushions must be compressed prior to assembly is necessary, and itis an example in which special access to the interior of the componentsis necessary for assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,446 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,747 are examples ofsimilar approaches for fabricating an upholstered sofa or chair wherethe final assembly can be a field assembly. The approach adopted inthese two patents and related patents is to provide a means forassembling a frame in the field, after which the frame is covered bypreassembled cushions. This approach provides one method of packagingthe components, prior to assembly, in a relatively small space to reducethe cost of shipping the components. However, it would appear that thisapproach is limited to certain styles because the design of thestructural members out of OSB panels is so radically different fromnormal upholstery frame design. Further limitations stem from theutilization of preformed arm and back cushions and covers fitted overthe frame after field assembly of the frame. It is not apparent thatthis approach could be adapted to upholstered furniture having thestyles and designs that would appeal to many, if not most, customers,and this approach may not be applicable to higher style items.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,298 is another example in which sofa components canbe assembled in the field to take advantage of shipping the sofa inpieces. It is suggested that the frames of that device can be assembledin the field and that a pliable material can be upholstered to the frameeither before or after the frame is assembled. However it would appearthat the type of upholstery would be limited by the need to access theinterior of the components, and this issue does not appear to have beenaddressed.

Although keyhole slot configurations have been employed to connectfurniture components, their use has primarily involved connection ofpanels and wooden member for desks, chairs, tables and items of thistype. The advantages of keyhole slot configurations in both improvingthe structural stability and rigidity of upholstered furniture items,and at the same time reducing the space necessary to ship furnitureitems in a preassembled state does not appear to have been previouslyaddressed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention is directed to field assembly of items, especiallyupholstered furniture, in which simple fastening means are employed sothat the upholstery need not be disturbed during assembly and in whichaccess to the interior of the components or subassemblies is notrequired. This invention permits final field assembly of an upholsteredsofa or similar furniture piece, and this furniture can be disassembledand reassembled by the owner, without the need for special tools anddoes not require experienced assistance or service.

This invention employs keyhole slot connector configurations that notonly simplify field assembly, but also tighten assembled components toprovide a sturdy configuration comparable to that achieved with highquality, factory assembled items of upholstered furniture. These keyholeslot configurations are also important as a means for constructingsubassemblies that can be shipped in smaller spaces and can allow morecost effective shipping, including the ability to ship more preassembledfurniture items in standard marine containers. Mail and Internet orderscan be easily shipped by conventional means because the shipping boxesare not bulky. These upholstered furniture pieces are therefore portableand can be easily assembled and disassembled even by a novice.

This ready to assemble, knockdown or modular furniture can also be asstylish as furniture that is assembled in a factory, and the assemblytechnique and components are adaptable to most if not all high qualityitems in all common styles.

A connector assembly according to this invention provides a completelyblind connection without the need to access any of the interior cavitiesof the furniture components. To obtain a secure sturdy connection,previous knockdown (KD) and ready to assemble (RTA) furniture systemsrequire access to the interior cavity of one or more of the furniturecomponents to tighten connectors. To obtain a sturdy blind connection,traditional KD and RTA systems in which access to the interior isnecessary to tighten or join upholstered furniture components requireremoval of layers of foam and external upholstered material to accessmechanical connectors or provide an exterior slip cover. In order tomaintain a sturdy blind connection these constraints severely limit therange of aesthetic designs compatible with these systems. The method ofassembling components provided by this invention overcomes theselimitations because the upholstery on each furniture component ispermanently fixed in place with the standard traditional upholsterymethods and it is not necessary to disturb the preassembled upholsteryor foam in order to assemble or disassemble furniture components. Thisimproves the durability of the upholstered materials and results in anassembled article of furniture, which looks and functions as well as acomparable design built and factory assembled on a traditional one pieceframe. There are almost no limitations to the type of style and designthat employs blind connector of this invention. Even complex curvedframes and multiple seating groupings are within the effectiveapplications of this system.

In addition to the aesthetic advantages of this system, the connectorassembly of this invention includes the capability of connectingfurniture components securely even though the manufacturing tolerancesand subsequent field assembly tolerances can be as great or greaterthan + 1/16 inch. The factors leading to such large tolerances mayinclude variances in the manufactured dimensions of the wood framemembers and normal tolerance issues related to the manufacture ofsub-frame assemblies. As furniture components are shipped across theoceans, warehoused for periods of time and finally set up and utilizedfor years, it is possible that changes in weather and climate, andatmospheric conditions can result in warping of internal frame membersresulting in changing tolerances for individual connectors. A second setof variables is the type of fabric on the furniture component to whichthe male connector of this invention is attached, as well as otherupholstered fabric and filler adjacent to the mating surfaces of bothfurniture components that may need to be compressed. The type of fabricand the variations in the individual tailoring of the upholstery on eachitem may impact the individual tolerances of each connector.

These are very serious challenges to maintain a reliable, tight fittingblind connector that cannot be tightened internally on assembledfurniture components with the tolerance issues described above.Traditional furniture connectors joining two or more components togetherthat form a blind connection typically require close tolerances both inthe manufacture of the separate connector parts itself, and theinsertion of multiple connectors into the furniture components must beexact and the members of the furniture components themselves, i.e. woodmembers, must be perfectly flat and aligned perfectly in relation toeach other for connectors to engage and properly function. All thisrequires very tight tolerances and a very high level of sophisticatedmanufacturing techniques. Concealed connectors of furniture componentsthat must be assembled in the field, which also have the ability tocompensate for varying misalignment and tolerance issues, typicallyrequire complex engineered components. One example is the three-wayadjustable door hinges used on cabinet doors. Those prior art hinges arevery effective, but complicated.

According to this invention, a male fastener can be inserted into akeyhole slot to attach two members. The male fastener includes a bolthaving a head on one end and threads adjacent one end thereof forsecuring the bolt to one member. A plastic sleeve encircles the bolt.The plastic sleeve has a hole extending between opposite ends thereof.The diameter of the plastic sleeve is large enough to receive the boltwithout binding the plastic sleeve relative to the bolt. The plasticsleeve is symmetrical relative to the hole and is longer than a spacingbetween opposite ends of the plastic sleeve. The plastic sleevecomprises a cylindrical shank having an outer diameter greater than boltforming a bearing surface upon insertion into a narrower section of thekeyhole slot. The plastic sleeve also comprises a conical portionadjacent the cylindrical shank projecting radially beyond thecylindrical shank. The plastic sleeve comprises means for engaging aportion of the keyhole slot to tighten the attachment of the malefastener to the keyhole slot and to provide a sturdier connectionbetween the two frame members as the sleeve progresses through thenarrower section of the keyhole slot. The two members fastened by themale fastener and the keyhole slot can be matable sections of afurniture item, such as an upholstered sofa arm and an upholstered sofaback.

A further aspect of this invention is an item of furniture suitable forfield assembly or comprising a knockdown furniture item, which includesfirst and second components or subcomponents. The first component has afirst frame member adjacent one end having at least one keyhole slot.The second component includes a second frame member disposable inopposed spaced relationship to the first frame member when the firstcomponent is positioned for assembly to the second component. The secondframe member includes a female fastener, such as a nut, disposedopposite the at least one keyhole slot when the first component ispositioned for assembly to the second component. A connector forassembling the first component to the second component includes a malefastener attachable to the female fastener and a sleeve through whichthe male fastener can be inserted. The sleeve is symmetrical about amale fastener member. The sleeve extends beyond the second component andis inserted into the keyhole slot in the first component withoutreference to orientation of the sleeve relative to the male fastenermember so that the first component can be assembled to the secondcomponent in the field by first attaching the connector to the secondcomponent and then positioning the second component relative to thefirst component. The sleeve is insertable into an alignment section ofthe keyhole slot and subsequent relative movement of the first andsecond components moves the sleeve laterally of its axis into a portionof the keyhole slot narrower than the alignment section to secure thefirst and second components together during field assembly of the itemof furniture.

Versions of an upholstered sofa according to this invention can beshipped in pieces and is suitable for field assembly. This sofa includesa sofa back, a pair of sofa arms, and a sofa deck. Connectors arepositionable between the sofa back and the sofa arms to attach the sofaarms to the sofa back. The connectors are covered by the sofa arms andthe sofa back upon assembly of the sofa arms to the sofa back. The sofadeck is upholstered on front, top and sides thereof, but includes opencompartment means dimensioned for receiving other parts of the sofa sideby side for shipment in an unassembled configuration.

According to another aspect of this invention a process of fabricatingan upholstered sofa comprising the steps of fabricating separateupholstered components including an upholstered sofa back, upholsteredsofa arms and an upholstered sofa deck. The method comprises thefollowing steps: The upholstered sofa back is fabricated by assembling aback frame, including frame post members having at least one keyholeslot, and applying upholstery material over the frame leaving firstopenings through the upholstery material in alignment with the keyholeslots on opposite sides of the sofa back. Sofa arms are fabricated byassembling an arm frame, including female fastener members on the armframe, in position for alignment with the keyhole slots when the sofaarms are subsequently assembled to the sofa back. Upholstery material isapplied to the arm frames leaving second openings in the upholsterymaterial in alignment with the female fastener. The sofa deck isfabricated for subsequent assembly to the sofa back and the sofa arms.The separate upholstered components are packed in an unassembledconfiguration for shipment so that assembly of the upholstered sofa canbe completed in a separate field assembly process after delivery of theseparate upholstered components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded three dimensional view of the frame components fora sofa that can be assembled according to this invention.

FIG. 2A is an exploded three dimensional view of upholstered sofa thatcan be subsequently assembled according to this invention, in which theupholstery surrounds the frame components shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 2B and2C are side views showing the manner in which the sofa deck or seat ismated with the sofa back.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a male connector or fastener assembly mountedon one of the frame members, such as a sofa arm frame member, prior touse of the male connector or fastener to assemble the sofa from theindividual upholstered furniture components.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the connector or fastener assembly of FIG.3.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are three dimensional views of a sleeve comprising oneof the components of the male connector or fastener assembly shown inFIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a three dimensional view of a keyhole slot formed in one ofthe frame members of an upholstered furniture component that will beattached to another furniture component on which a male connector of thetype shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has been mounted.

FIG. 7A is a section view of a keyhole slot such as that shown in FIG.6, showing a beveled edge of the keyhole slot. FIG. 7B is a partialelevational view of the keyhole slot of FIG. 6. FIG. 7C is a viewshowing the first step if cutting the keyhole slot in a wooden framemember and FIG. 7D shows the keyhole slot after routing the slot shownin FIG. 7C to form beveled edges on one portion of the keyhole slot.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are side sectional views showing the manner in which themale connector or fastener is inserted into the keyhole slot to attachtwo furniture components. FIG. 8C shows movement of the male connectormember in the keyhole slot. FIG. 8D shows the male connector as it isinitially inserted into an alignment section of the keyhole slot andFIG. 8E shows the manner in which the connector moves two frame membersinto a tight fit.

FIGS. 9A through 9D show an alternative version of a keyhole slot thatcan be formed in a metal or plastic fitting or other nonwooden materialand will function in the same manner as the keyhole slot shown in FIGS.6 and 7 and in the operational views 8A through 8D

FIGS. 10A and 10B show and alternate version of the male connector witha sleeve having a convex curved surface between the shank and the end ofthe sleeve.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show another alternate version of the male connectorin which the larger portion of the sleeve has a spherical shape.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show another version of the male connector that can bemachined so that the enlarged sleeve section and the threaded sectionare part of the same one-piece member.

FIGS. 13A through 13C show another version of the connector assembly inwhich the keyhole slot can be molded from a plastic or other resinousmaterial and in which multiple keyhole slots can be molded in the samefemale member to provide additional strength.

FIG. 14A is a view showing the manner in which sofa arms comprisestorage in which pillows or cushions can be placed for shipment and FIG.14B shows the manner in which pillows or cushions can be stored withinthe sofa back for shipment.

FIG. 15 is a three dimensional view showing the manner in which all ofthe components of the sofa shown in FIG. 2 can be stacked for shipmentminimizing the volume of the shipped, but unassembled assembly.

FIG. 16A Is a view of a chair fabricated using the connector members,and FIG. 16B is an exploded view, partially cutaway, of a chairfabricated in the same manner as the sofa of the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an exploded view, partially cutaway, of a curved sofafabricated in the same manner as the sofa of the first embodiment, andshowing the manner in which a sofa having a different style can stillemploy the connector assembly.

FIG. 18 is a view of another sofa in which portions of the sofa areexposed wood. FIG. 18 also shows the manner in which the connectorassembly can be used in areas in which access to the interior of sofacomponents is very difficult if not impossible.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are views of a modular sofa in which the componentscan be assembled and disassembled in the same manner as the otherembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Subassemblies or components of a final assembly, such as an upholsteredsofa 2, can be fabricated and shipped for final assembly using theconnector apparatus 50 of the instant invention. Although this connectorapparatus 50 can be advantageously used to simplify and improve thefinal assembly of furniture subcomponents or subassemblies, it is notlimited to use with furniture. The furniture assemblies depicted hereinare merely representative of the use of this connector assembly 50.

The connector assembly 50 includes a male connector or fastenerapparatus 70 that can be attached to a frame member including a keyholeslot configuration 60, so that two components or subassemblies can beassembled by first inserting the male connector apparatus 70 into largealignment or entry portion 62 of a keyhole slot 60 and then impartinglateral movement between the two components so that the male connectorapparatus enters a narrower slot section 63 of the keyhole slot. In thepreferred embodiment of this invention this connector assembly 50provides a simple and effective manner of assembling and securing sofaarms 10 on opposite sides of a sofa back 14. This connector assembly 50allows subcomponents or subassemblies, such as sofa arms 10 and a sofaback 14, to be reliably field assembled, to form a strong, functionaland fashionable sofa 2, and therefore permits relatively inexpensiveshipment of the subcomponents or subassemblies in a relatively smallvolume. In the preferred embodiment depicted herein, an upholstered sofa2 consisting of two sofa arms 10, a sofa deck 12, a sofa back 14, sofaback cushions 16 and sofa seat cushions 17, and assorted sofa pillows 18can be shipped in a rectangular volume minimizing space needed in ashipping container. A relatively large number of disassembled items offurniture can be shipped in this manner with little lost space andsubstantially filling standard shipping containers. In therepresentative embodiment depicted herein, an upholstered sofa 2 havinga standard height of thirty one (31) inches, and width of eighty nine(89) inches and a depth of thirty nine (39) inches can be shipped in arectangular space having a width of thirty (30) inches, and height ofthirty (30) inches and a depth of seventy two (72) inches. Thus theshipping volume is significantly less than the volume of the sofa 12after final assembly, and a large number of items of furniture or otheritems can therefore be more efficiently shipped.

The instant invention is especially suitable for use with knockdownupholstered furniture, such as the upholstered sofa 2 shown in FIG. 2.Each of the primary components or subassemblies of sofa 2 areupholstered before final assembly of the various components orsubassemblies. Layers of upholstery can be professionally applied to thesofa arms 10, the sofa deck or seat 12 and the sofa back 14 before finalassembly of these parts. In other words, the upholstery can be appliedin a factory where special skill is available to insure proper fit andfunction and quality, which can be especially important for the finalproduct. However, final field assembly can be delayed until theupholstered subcomponents or subassemblies have reached their ultimatedestination or until they have reached a retail or display location. Theconnector apparatus 50 will allow field assembly of the components in amanner that will not detract from the appearance of the factoryinstalled upholstery and will be compatible with the tolerances and fitissues that are applicable to this type of furniture.

The primary subcomponents of the upholstered sofa 2 are fabricated byfirst fabricating a frame comprising a plurality of frame memberspreferably fabricated from wood. Although higher quality products willemploy lumber sawn to predetermined dimensions, it is also possible toemploy wood byproducts, such as plywood or oriented strand board, forless expensive versions of items of furniture of this type. The framemembers and frame components of sofa 2 are shown in FIG. 1. If the sofaarms 10 are identical then the sofa frames 20 will also be identical.However, in many if not most cases, the left and right sofa arms 10 willnot be identical, as is the case with the left and right sofa arms 10and sofa arm frames 20 are not identical, but are effectively mirrorimages of each other. However, the same basic frame members are employedin each sofa arm 20, each of which has a generally L-shaped side framerails referred to as inside arm rail 21A and a side pull rail 21B.T-nuts 92, which will form part of the connector assembly are mounted onthe inside arm rail 21A, and they are in alignment with holes formed atselected locations. As seen on the right arm frame, the male connectorfastener assembly extends inwardly from inside arm rail 21A. The armframe segments 22A and 22B on the front and rear of arm frame 20 definethe basic curved shape of sofa arms 10 and top arm frame 23 and bottomarm frame 24 extend between the front and rear frame segments 22A and22B. Feet 25 are attached to the bottom arm frame member 24. The variousarm frame segments are assembled together to form a rigid structure andan interior arm storage compartment 27 will be bounded by the framesegments forming arm frame 20. The bottom rail or frame member 24 may bedetachable or may not be permanently secured to the other frame segmentto permit access to the arm storage compartment 27, as will besubsequently described in more detail. Upholstery layers 27 can then betacked to the arm frames 20 in a professional manner to form the sofaarm subassemblies shown in FIG. 2A. The male connector devices 70 can besecured to the sofa arm frames 20, either before or after the upholsterylayers 27 are applied, but in any event, suitable openings will be leftin the upholstery so that the male connector devices 70 extend beyondthe exterior upholstery surface 27. Openings for conventional fastenersfor attaching the sofa arms 20 on opposite sides of sofa deck 12 arealso provided.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sofa back frame 30 is a rigid frameformed by attaching wooden frame members by conventional means. Backframe posts 31 have multiple keyhole slots 60 cut or routed adjacent thetop and bottom of both the left and right back frame posts 31, althoughthe keyhole slots 60 in the right back post 31 are not visible inFIG. 1. In addition to the upright back frame posts 31, two upright backsupport frame segments 32, having a shape similar to the side framesegments or posts 31 are evenly positioned so that the four uprightframe segments 31 and 32 provide vertical rigidity to the sofa backframe 30. Top and bottom lateral stringers 33 are attached to theupright segments or posts 31 and 32, which extend between stringers 33and form a face frame. A birdsmouth slot 35 is formed beneath lowerstringer 33 by notches cut into each of the upright frame posts 31 and32 and a bottom stringer 34 extends along the entire length of the sofaback frame 30. As will be subsequently described in more detail,birdsmouth slot 35 will be used to connect sofa deck 12 to sofa back 14because the respective frame members will fit together so that the sofadeck 12 supports the sofa back 14. A layer of upholstery material 36will be professionally attached to the sofa back frame 30 to form thesofa back 14 shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2A shows a configuration in whichportions of the frame posts 31 are not covered by a layer of upholsterymaterial so that keyhole slots 60 are exposed. In this embodiment thesides of sofa back 14 will engage opposed surfaces near the rear of sofaarms 10 so that the exposed frame posts 31 will not be visible. However,in other designs, the frame posts 31 can be completely covered withslits formed in alignment with keyhole slots 60 so that the maleconnector 50 can extend through upholstery slits into aligned keyholeslots 60. The extent to which the upholstery layer 36 covers the sofaback frame posts 31 will depend on the precise design of the specificsofa 2.

Sofa deck or seat 12 is also formed of a deck frame 40 comprising aplurality of conventionally fabricated frame segments, preferably formedof sawn planks, such as hard wood, plywood or oriented strand board,with a layer of deck upholstery 46 covering at least a portion of thesofa deck 12. In this embodiment, an exposed layer of upholsterymaterial 46 will cover a deck front rail 41, but a different material,such as typical seat decking material, can be used to cover the seatsection, because this material will be covered by sofa seat cushions 17when the sofa 2 is in use. The deck frame 40 is a rectangular structureformed by front rail 41, rear rail 42, best seen in FIG. 2B, both ofwhich are joined by two side beams 43, and a central arched beam orspreader rail 44. A seat frame 48 includes four pieces nailed the railsto form the rectangular seat frame extending around the periphery of thedeck frame 40. The two side rails 43 include a projection on the frontso that each rail is generally L-shaped and has a greater width at thefront than at the rear. This provides a surface for nailing or otherwiseattaching the front rail 41, which will provide the lower face of theupholstered sofa 2. The central beam 44 is arched or recessed so thatadequate space is provided so that the seat can deflect and an occupantsitting in the middle of the sofa 2 will not feel this central supportbeam 44. A series of deck no-sag springs 45, only one of which is shownin FIG. 1, extend from the front to the back of the sofa frame 40, andthese deck springs 45 are strong enough to support occupants of thesofa. As seen in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the rear rail 42 can be inserted intothe birdsmouth slot 35 on the sofa back and the sofa back 14 willsupport the rear of the deck 40. As best seen in FIG. 15, the centralportion of the sofa deck 12 does not extend below the springs 45,although a thin cover may be positioned below these springs 45. A deckstorage compartment 47 thus opens onto the lower surface of the sofadeck 12, and sufficient space will be provided in which seat backcushions 16 or other cushions or pillows can be inserted, when the sofacomponents are stacked for shipment. The advantages of stacking thecomponents in this fashion will be subsequently discussed in moredetail. The open storage compartment 47 also provides access so thatconventional fasteners, such as screws, bolts or nails may be used tosecure the sofa deck 12 to the sofa arms 10. Preferably nuts areattached to the inner side walls 21 of the sofa arm frame 20 so thatthreaded fasteners may be inserted from the inside of the sofa deckframe 40 to secure the sofa arm frame 20. Holes or slits may be providedin the upholstery layers 46 and 26, or any other covering to allow thethreaded fasteners to be inserted into nuts or other attachment means inthe sofa arm frames 20. In the embodiment depicted herein, the sofa deckor seat 12, and its occupants will be supported by the sofa arms 10,which are the only components resting on the floor. Of course additionalsupports may be installed on the sofa deck 12 or on the sofa back 14 isdesired or if required when this invention is employed to construct alonger sofa than the representative embodiment depicted herein.

The connector assembly 50 providing the ability to connect or attachfurniture components not only provides for a simple method of connectingthe components, but also provides a simple method of disconnecting thesesame components or subassemblies. Furthermore this connector assembly 50provides a sturdy connection as well as providing a means for formingtight fitting components, even though the manufacturing tolerances forthe individual subassemblies may be quite large and would renderconventional connector means unsuitable for fabricating an assembly ofgood quality and reliability. There are a number of practicalconsiderations that limit the precision with which furniture using woodframe members can be built. The most common material used to fabricateupholstered furniture frame members is plywood, and the thickness ofplywood can vary. Therefore it may be difficult, and more costly, toinsure that the same thickness is always used for the same item ofupholstered furniture. Plywood or other wood products can also be warpedor twisted. Variations in the moisture content of wood can also resultin expansion or contraction of the wood, especially if solid wood isused. The moisture content can be especially difficult to control duringshipping, especially during shipping in marine containers, which may besubject to high humidity and temperature, and the unassembled furniturecomponents can be shipped in many different climates.

Connector assembly 50 comprises a female connection in the form of akeyhole slot 60 and a male fastener assembly 70, that fits with thekeyhole slot 60. Details of the male fastener assembly 70 are depictedin FIGS. 3 and 4. One component of this male fastener assembly 70 is asleeve 80 that is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The primary load bearingmember of the male fastener assembly 70 is a threaded fastener member orbolt 71. Fastening means other than threads can also be employed, butone advantage of using a metal bolt 71 of the type depicted herein isthat such bolts are commonly available and relatively inexpensive. Inthe preferred embodiment, the bolt 71 includes a head 72 at one end anda threaded section 74 that extends to the other bolt end 75. FIG. 4shows a bolt 71 with threads extending along its entire length, but inmost applications only a short threaded section adjacent the bolt end 75opposite from the head 72 is needed. These threads 74 will only engage athreaded surface on a female member, such as a T-nut 92, that isanchored to a frame member, such as arm sidewall 21A shown in FIG. 4. Abolt 71 with a standard head 72 is not essential. A screw or bolt havinga screw head could be substituted. However a bolt 71 with a protrudinghead 72 is well suited for use in this application, because the head 72can be gripped by a wrench, and a user will have a large lever arm totighten the bolt 71 in nut 92. It is highly desirable that the bolt 71or other cylindrical male fastener be tightly attached to a framemember, because the bolt 71 will be employed not only to attach the twocomponents, but also to tighten one component relative to another toform a tight connection even in the presence of relatively largemanufacturing tolerances. This tight connection will be formed with akeyhole slot 60 located in a mating subassembly.

In the preferred embodiment depicted herein, the bolt or othercylindrical fastener member 71 will not directly engage the keyhole slot60. Sleeve 80 is symmetrical a central axis of rotation. A sleeve 80,having a conical surface 84 will engage tapered surfaces 64 on thekeyhole slot 60, and a cylindrical shank portion 83, adjacent theconical portion 84 will either engage or be positioned in closeproximity to a bearing surface 61 in the relatively narrow slot 63formed in the keyhole slot configuration 60. Sleeve 80 will serve as aspacer member, a support member and a gripping or tightening member.Sleeve 80 will preferably comprise a one-piece molded plastic member.However, the sleeve 80 can be formed by multiple components or it can befabricated from a metal or some material other than plastics suitablefor molding.

The sleeve 80 has a cylindrical hole 81 extending between oppositesleeve end faces 86 and 87. The diameter of this hole 81 is sufficientfor bolt 71 to be inserted completely through the sleeve 80, but leavesufficient clearance so that sleeve 80 is free to rotate around the bolt71 and not bind itself on the bolt. Sleeve 80 is thus free to moveaxially relative to the bolt 71. The diameter of the bolt head 72 is,however, larger than the diameter of hole 81 so that bolt head 72 willabut the conical sleeve end face 86. Washers 91 can also be positionedbetween the bolt head and the sleeve end face 86. The cylindrical sleeveshank section 83 has a sufficient outer diameter so that the sleeve willabut the periphery of a hole drilled into a frame member on which themale fastener assembly 70 is mounted. Metal washers 91 can also beprovided adjacent shank end face 87. In addition, compressible washers90 can also be positioned between sleeve 80 and a frame member. In thepreferred embodiment depicted herein, compressible washers 90 can befabricated from a rubber or elastomeric material, and these compressiblewashers 90 can comprise one-piece molded members. Alternatively aflexible compressive spring member, such as a split washer or aBelleville washer could also be employed as a compressible washer. InFIGS. 3 and 4, the male fastener assembly 70 is shown attached to an armframe side wall 21A. A single compressible washer 90 and a single metalwasher 91 surround the bolt 71 and are positioned between the sleeve 80and frame member 21A. Edges of upholstery layer 26 are also trappedbetween the metal washer 91 and the sofa arm frame side wall 21A so thatthe sleeve 80 can be pressed against the upholstery and will not disturbthe configuration of the upholstery. A slit or hole may be provided inthe upholstery so that the bolt 91 can be inserted through theupholstery layer 26 that has been previously affixed to the frame wall21A.

The male fastener assembly 70 will engage keyhole slot 60 in order toattach two components or subassemblies together. This keyhole slot 60 isshown in FIGS. 6 and 7A-7D and the engagement of the male fastenerassembly 70 to a keyhole slot 60 is shown in FIGS. 8A through 8E. In thepreferred embodiment of this invention, the keyhole slot is formed inwooden frame members in components or subassemblies that will beattached to other components or subassemblies in an upholsteredfurniture item, such as sofa 2. FIGS. 6 and 7A-7D show one keyhole slot60 that is formed in one of the back frame posts 31 in the sofa back 14to which the sofa arms 10 will be attached by the connectors 50. Thekeyhole slot 60 is formed by routing or otherwise cutting the woodenframe post 31 with a router or other tool, and can be efficiently formedusing conventional CNC equipment. Keyhole slot 60 includes a generallycircular entry or alignment hole 62 with a narrower slot 63 extendinggenerally radially from one end of the hole 62. Slot 63 includes bearingsurfaces 61 opposite sides of slot 63. These bearing surfaces 61 aregenerally parallel in this representative embodiment and are spacedapart by a distance sufficient to receive the cylindrical shank portion83 of sleeve 80. Note that the outer diameter of the sleeve shank 83 isgreater than the outer diameter of the bolt 71, so the sleeve 80 willabut the bearing surface 61 and loads and pressure applied to the woodenframe will not be as concentrated as if engaged directly by a bolt 71.The diameter of the alignment hole 62 is sufficient for insertion of theconical section 84 of sleeve 80 at its widest diameter as defined byring 85. The sleeve 80 can thus be inserted through the generallycircular hole 62 and when the sleeve 80 is inserted to a sufficientdepth relative to keyhole slot 60, the sleeve shank portion 83 can bemoved into the narrower slot 63. In this position, the sleeve 80, andthe male connector assembly 70 of which it is a part cannot be movedalong the axis of the bolt 70 and the entire male connector assembly 70out of engagement with the keyhole slot 60. The connector assembly 50,of which keyhole slot 60 and male connector assembly 70 are cooperatingparts will thus connect and lock a subassembly containing a framecomponent, such as back frame post 31, to another frame component, suchas inside arm rail 21A so that the connector 50 can lock a sofa arm 10on one end of the sofa back 14.

A tapered or beveled surface 64 is formed along the inside edge of thebearing surface 61 of slot 63. This beveled surface 64 can be formed bya router. The router would move transversely relative to the plane ofthe wooden member as the beveled surface 64 is being formed so that thedepth of the beveled surface 64 changes. In addition to being taperedrelative to the bearing surface 61, FIG. 7A shows that the depth of thebeveled surface 64 is greater adjacent the intersection between slot 63and hole 62 than at the apex or top of slot 63. This inclination betweenthe hole 62 and the apex of slot 63 can be formed by a router that movestransversely relative to the planar faces of a member, such as backframe post 31 as the slot 63 is being formed. When the sleeve 80 movesinto slot 63, the conical sleeve surface 84 will engage the slot beveledsurface 64 and this will cause the sleeve 80 to move along its axis ofrevolution and along the axis of revolution of the bolt 71 so that theframe members being connected, will move toward each other. Thismovement of the two frame members toward each other results because theslot beveled surface 64 is located on the inside surface of the framemember. When employed to attach an arm frame member 21A to a back framemember 31, this will tighten the engagement of the sofa arm 10 to thesofa back 14.

The typical thickness of the plywood that would normally be used tofabricate a frame would be three-fourths (¾) of an inch or approximately25 mm. Normally, the sleeve 80 would be dimensioned so that the distancebetween the sleeve shank end face 87 and the intersection of the conicalsurface 84 and the sleeve outer ring surface 85 would be equal tothree-eights (⅜) of an inch, or equal to one half of the nominalthickness of the plywood with which the sleeve 80 is to be used. Theouter diameter of the ring section 85 can be 31.5 mm and the outerdiameter of the shank 83 can be 21.5 mm, while the angle or taper of theconical surface 84 can be forty-five (45) degrees relative to the axisof the sleeve hole 81. The preferred embodiment of sleeve 80 would beemployed with a standard 5/16 inch bolt. Of course these dimensions arerepresentative and other dimensions could be employed for thisembodiment as well as for other versions.

In spite of the tolerances inherent in either furniture manufacturingand/or wood working, a stiff, tight connection between furniturecomponents or subassemblies can be achieved by using the connectorassembly 50, and of course use this connector assembly is not limited tofurniture assembly, since the same basic configuration can be employedwith other devices. The connector assembly 50 can also be used witheither upholstered or non-upholstered furniture items, although it hasspecial advantages when used with knockdown or field assembled anddisassembled upholstery furniture items.

Although the engagement of the conical sleeve surface 84 with thetapered keyhole slot surface 64 will promote a tight fit betweencomponents, washers can be employed to remove excess spacing duringassembly so that a tight fit is always possible. Standard metal washers91 can be employed to take up space. The addition of washers 91 willalso permit use of the other male connector components to connectcomponents having different nominal dimensions. For example thethickness of upholstery layers can be different for different furnituredesigns, but standard male fastener components can be used for differentdesigns merely with the addition or subtraction of standard metalwashers. Compressible washers 90 provide additional means formaintaining a tight fit between mated components. The compressiblewashers 90 can be employed in combination with the conical sleevesurfaces 84 and/or the beveled slot surfaces 64 to account fordimensional differences. As the connection becomes tighter when theconical sleeve surface 84 moves along beveled slot surface 64, acompressible washer 91 can be employed to take up even more slack.Alternatively the beveled slot surface 64 may be eliminated, and acompressible washer 91 can account for all of the slack in somesituations. These combinations will also allow the sleeve 80 to fullyenter the slot section 63 so that the sleeve shank 83 will engage theapex of slot section 63. Thus the two interconnected components, such assofa arm 10 and sofa back 14 will be in proper vertical alignment whenthese components are tightly fit together.

The connector assembly of this invention is a simple reliable solutionfor a blind connector that does not require tight tolerances in themanufacture of its components. In fact except for a resinous ornonmetallic sleeve, the parts are common off the shelf items. The mannerin which the beveled keyhole of this invention works with the maleconnector requires only one important tight tolerance, which is thelength of the male connector relative to the beveled surface on thefemale keyhole slot. This has been achieved by the ability to adjust thelength of the male connector. The length of the male connector can beextended or shortened by 1/16th″ increments by adding or removingstandard washers. Employing compressible washers enables the adjustmentsto be measured in thousands of inches by either tightening or loosingthe connecting bolt of the male connector. This is what allows forcompensating the varying and sometimes large tolerances on upholstereditems. Trial fitting and adjustments can easily be made at any time. Ifwashers are lost or extra washers are needed, they can easily bepurchased at most local hardware or home improvement stores.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are side sectional views showing the manner in which themale connector or fastener is inserted into the keyhole slot to attachtwo furniture components. FIG. 8C shows movement of the male connectormember in the keyhole slot. FIG. 8D shows the male connector as it isinitially inserted into an alignment section of the keyhole slot andFIG. 8E shows the manner in which the connector moves two frame membersinto a tight fit. In these figures, an arrow shows the movement of themale connector 70 relative to the keyhole slot 60 when the furniturecomponents are assembled. As clearly shown in FIG. 8B, the maleconnector 70 not only moves parallel to the keyhole slot 70, but alsotransverse relative to the frame member in which the keyhole slot 60 isformed, so that the two frame members and the two furniture componentswill we wedged into a tight fit.

An alternative keyhole slot configuration is shown in FIG. 9A throughFIG. 9D, which show a metal keyhole slot fitting 160 that can beattached to an oval or elongate opening 160′ in a frame member. Thisalternative keyhole slot configuration will function in the same manneras keyhole slot 60 and will engage the male connector assembly 70 andthe sleeve 80 in the substantially the same manner. The circularalignment or entry hole 162 is large enough for insertion of sleeve 80and the sleeve shank 83 will fit within slot 163. The sides adjacent theslot 163 will be formed inwardly by a punch so that a beveled orinclined edge 164 will be formed. The conical sleeve surface 84 willengage this formed edge 164 in the same manner in which it would engagethe routed beveled surface 64. The keyhole slot 160 is one alternativeto the keyhole slot 60, but it is by no means the only option. Forexample, the sleeve 80 can be fabricated as part of the bolt so that aconical surface would be formed on the bolt itself. Other modificationscould be made, but the representative versions depicted hereindemonstrate the manner in which the assembly and disassembly of items,such as knockdown furniture items can be improved.

Another alternate embodiment of the male connector is shown in FIGS. 10Athrough 10B in which a sleeve 280 has a convex curved enlarged section284 extending from shank 283 with the threaded shaft 271 of the boltextending therebeyond. This embodiment operates in substantially thesame way as the earlier embodiment. FIGS. 11A and 11B show anotherversion in which the sleeve 380 has a spherical enlarged section 384 anda cylindrical shank 383 with the threaded shaft 371 extending to theopposite end. This version can be formed by either inserting thespherical sleeve 380 onto the bolt or by insert molding the sleeve 380on the bolt. FIGS. 12A and 12B show a version in which the sleevecomprises a conical section 484 and a cylindrical shank 483. The entireconnector 470, including the threaded shaft 471 can be machined from thesame material, such as a metal blank to form a one-piece metal connector470.

FIGS. 13A through 13C show still another version in which two keyholeslots 560 are formed in a plate 558 that is screwed to one frame member531. A male connector, such as threaded connector 470, shown in FIGS.12A and 12B can be attached to another frame member 521A, and the twoframe members can be assembled in the same manner as previouslydiscussed. As shown in FIG. 13C, the plate 558 can be formed from aplastic or other resinous member and the use of two keyhole slots 560,each with beveled surfaces 564, will provide additional strength, whichcan be of significant importance when molding the plate 558 and thekeyhole slot 560 from a plastic.

An important aspect of this connector assembly 50 is that all of theconnector components will be hidden when the furniture components arefully assembled. The male connector assembly 70 will fit within akeyhole slot 60 located in an internal frame member that is covered bythe upholstery or outer covering of the item of furniture. The sleeve 80protrudes only in the unassembled configuration. During assembly, thesleeve 80 can be inserted through a slit or opening covering the keyholeslot 60 and will be easy to align with the circular entry hole 62 inkeyhole slot 60. Since the sleeve 80 can be molded from plastic and willbe larger in diameter than a standard bolt and have no rough edges,there will be little chance that the sleeve 80 will snag or tear theupholstery. Even in designs in which the frame posts 31 may be exposedbefore assembly, as shown in FIG. 1, the connector assembly 50 will holdtwo components in abutting relationship so that the previously exposedframe as well as the connector need not be visible in the finalassembly.

Although the connector assembly 50 and alternative versions thereofimprove the attachment of one furniture component to another, thecapability of firmly assembling furniture components in the field toform items of furniture having feel and function equivalent to similaritems manufactured in a factory, offers further advantages. A fieldassembly or a knockdown capability has economic advantages, ifcomponents can be efficiently shipped. Inventive items of furnitureemploying the connector subassembly 50 or similar fastening means permitshipment of the furniture components in a smaller space than a fullyassembled sofa or similar furniture item.

FIGS. 14A and B and 15 show some of the significant space savings thatcan be achieved by employing the instant invention. FIG. 14A shows twospacing saving features. First two sofa arms 10, each of which are widerat the top than at the bottom can be positioned end to end with inclinedor tapered edges in abutment. Thus a knockdown or modular sofa need notbe limited to versions having rectangular arms. The tapered sofa arms 10are especially suited for storage in small volumes, because the taperedsofa arms can be stacked edge to edge with significant spacing savings.More conventional sofa arms with vertical rear edges extending to thetop edge of an inclined sofa back will be larger and will be moredifficult to ship in a smaller package. Perhaps more significant is thatspace for interior storage compartments 27 is available in the arms 10.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the bottom rail 24 can either bedetachable from or merely loosely bound to provide access to theinterior storage compartment 27, which can provide storage shipmentspace for sofa pillows 18, which if necessary can be compressed to adegree sufficient to reside in interior storage compartment 27.

FIG. 15 shows that the various components of a representative sofa 2 canbe stacked for shipment. The deck 12 has an open storage compartment 47in which sofa back cushions 16 can be fitted for shipment. Sofa seatcushions 17 have approximately the same dimensions as the sofa back 14.Thus the various components of a knockdown or modular sofa can bestacked as shown in FIG. 15. All of these components or subassembliescan be packaged in one or multiple boxes that can be stacked together orthe components can be bound by shrinkwrap or by using other conventionalshipping accessories. The items forming the male fastener assembly 70can be shipped as a kit along with other fasteners, or the male fastenerassembly may be preassembled for shipment as shown in FIG. 2. If themale fastener assembly 20 is shipped in kit form, a sufficient amount ofloose piece accessory items, such as washers 90 and 91, may be includedso that there will be adequate accessory items so that even items offurniture having the largest dimensional tolerances or tolerance stackups can be properly assembled. Other accessory items, such as screws orbolts for completing the assembly of the sofa arms 10 to the sofa deck12 can also be included in kit form. The choice of preassembling themale connectors or of shipping them in kit form can of course dependupon the requirement of a specific type of furniture item. Space savingsfor shipment would apply not only to land or air shipment in the chainof distribution, but also to shipment in standard marine storagecontainers. The preferred embodiment of an upholstered sofa 2 can bepackaged and shipped so that a total of sixty three (63) sofas 2 can beshipped in a standard marine storage container having a storage volumeof 2,705 cubic feet with a height of one hundred two (102) inches, adepth of ninety (90) inches and a length of four hundred fifty (450)inches. A box containing a single sofa can have the dimensions of thirty(30) by thirty (30) by seventy two (72) inches. This represents asignificant improvement over the number of fully assembled sofas thatmay be shipped in a marine container of the same size. A container ofthe same size could accommodate only thirty (30) sofa of the same sizeand style sofa built with a standard one piece frame.

The components can be stacked in the manner shown in FIG. 15 andpackaged in one or two boxes. When packaged in this manner, thesefurniture items can be shipped by truck or rail as well as in marinecontainers. A sofa 2 can then be shipped from a distributor directly toa purchaser or it can be shipped to a retailer. The sofa components canthen be assembled either by an experienced installer or by thepurchaser, and the components need not be removed from their shippingpackage or packages until they reach the purchasers residence. Therelatively small packages enhance the portability of the knockdown orready to assemble components. The male fastener assemblies 70 can eitherbe attached to components, such as sofa arms 10, prior to packaging orthey can be shipped in kit form, where they can be assembled to theproper furniture component on site.

The representative embodiment of sofa 2 requires only the followingassembly steps. First components, such as pillows 16 and 18 are removed,and if necessary the feet 25 and lower plates 24 are assembled to thearms 10. If the male connectors 70 were not assembled prior to shipment,a sleeve 80 can be inserted on bolt 71, and, if necessary a compressiblewasher 90 and one or more standard washers 91 can be inserted over eachbolt 71. The male fastener assembly 70 is then mounted on an appropriatecomponent by screwing the bolt 71 into the T-nut 92. This can be donefrom the outside. Since the upholstery layers 26, 36 and 46, as well asany foam, are on the exterior of the boxes formed by the componentframes, there will be no interference with these layers when the bolt 71is secured to nut 92. There is no need to access the interior of thecomponent, such as sofa arm 10 to mount the male fastener assembly 70.Normally the bolt 91 is tightened, and this can be done from theoutside. If the sleeve 80 is not properly positioned, then standardwashers 92 can be added or removed. Once the sleeves 80 have beenproperly positioned, the sofa arms 10 can then be assembled on each sideof the sofa back 14.

The sofa arms 10 can be mounted on sofa back 14 one at a time. The twosleeves 80 projecting inwardly from the inwardly facing surface of arm10 on a sofa are then aligned with the entry or alignment hole 62 on thecorresponding keyhole slot 60. The keyhole slot 60 is accessible becausethe upholstery layer 46 either will not cover the keyhole slot 60 or anappropriate opening is provided. Each sleeve 80 can then be insertedinto its corresponding keyhole slot 60. After the sleeves 80 on one armextend through corresponding hole 62, the back 14 is pushed downrelative to the arm 10. There will then be relative movement of thesleeve 80 laterally of its axis into the narrow keyhole slot section 63.Shank 83 thus enters the slot 63. The conical sleeve surface 84 willengage the tapered or beveled slot surface 64 as the sleeve 80 movesrelative to the keyhole slot 60. This will result in a tight and sturdyconnection of the arms 10 to the sofa back 14. Any exposed frame will becovered by preassembled upholstery layers 26 and 46, and these layerscan be compressed to form a sturdy connection that will be free fromsqueaking. Since the sleeve 80 moves progressively into a tight fit,adjoining upholstery layers will not rub against each other undercompression, both making the assembly step easier and also avoidingdislodgment, damage or protrusion of the previously assembled upholsterylayers. Both arms 10 may be attached to sofa back 14 in this manner.

After the arms 10 are attached to the sofa back 14, the sofa deck 12 canthen be assembled to complete field assembly of sofa 2. The back edge ofthe sofa deck 12 can be inserted into the birdsmouth slot 35 on sofaback 14, which will support the sofa deck 12 along its entire length.When weight is applied to sofa deck 12 by those seated on sofa 12, thesleeves 80 will be even more firmly seated in keyhole slots 60 toreinforce the assembly. The front rail 41 will provide support for thefront of sofa deck 12. Conventional fasteners can the secure theopposite sides of sofa deck 12 to the arms 10. Since the bottom surfaceof sofa deck 12 is open, access to insert these fasteners will besimple. Conventional threaded fasteners can be screwed in place using ascrewdriver or wrench. Alternatively fasteners with knob that can begripped by an installer can be used. In this manner the primarycomponents of sofa 12 can be assembled, either by an experiencedtechnician or by a purchaser provided with relatively simpleinstructions. The sofa 2 can also be easily disassembled by reversingthese steps and the sofa components can then be easily moved to a newlocation and reassembled. Even if the connector assembly 50 may nolonger fit as well as when initially installed, the fit can be adjustedeither by removing one or more of the conventional washers 91, or byadding new standard washers, which can be purchased from a hardwarestore if any washers that were initially supplied may have been lost.

Assembly of sofa 2 can be completed by an experienced installer in fiveto ten minutes. A person, without prior familiarity with such a sofashould be able to assemble sofa 2 in fifteen to twenty minutes. Suchassembly is very easy and does not require a person to lift heavy loads.One person can assemble and disassemble sofa 2 because the individualcomponents are not heavy and access to the interior to perform intricateoperations or blind operations in not required.

A connector or fastener having the capabilities of connector assembly 50needs to be provided, because some of the primary sofa components, suchas arms 10 and deck 12 included open storage compartments. To provide asturdy, high quality finished assembly, then the connection of hollow oropen components needs to be tight and strong. In addition to providingopen storage space, some of the components need to be open to provideclearance for attaching other fasteners, such as the use of screws toattach the arms 10 to the deck 12. Other accessory items requiring atleast limited access may be included in other designs, so the connectorassembly 50 of this invention is important for other potential reasons.

One of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand that the basicinvention represented by the preferred embodiment of sofa 2 could beemployed with other items of furniture. FIGS. 16A and 16B show a chair602 that includes chair arms 610, a chair seat 612 and a chair back 614.A connector assembly including keyhole slots 60 and male connectors 70identical to this used sofa 2 can be employed to assemble chair 202.FIGS. 16A and 16B also demonstrate how this type of connector can beused with exposed frame or wood members, such as arms 201 and the maleconnector 70 will still be invisible when the chair 202 is fullyassembled.

FIG. 17 shows an embodiment of a curved sofa, which can be assembledusing the keyhole slots 60 and male connectors 70 in the previouslydescribed connector assembly 50. As shown in FIG. 17, these connectorsare not limited to use on structures that mate at right angles, such asseat arms 710, one of which shows the normally covered frame of seat arm712, to a seat back 714, a portion of which is shown so that the backframe is visible. FIG. 17 also demonstrates how connector assemblyformed by male connectors 70 mating with keyhole slots 60 can beemployed to connect other items, such as the two seat sections 712.

FIG. 18 shows a sofa 802 in which the arms 810 and the seat back 814comprise thin members formed with an exposed wooden surface. The seat812 is upholstered and cushions 816 and 817 can be added. The woodensections 810 and 814 are relatively thin, but the blind connection ofthese components is still possible by using male connectors 70insertable into keyhole slots 60. This version shows that the connectorassembly is suitable for use when the frame members 810 and 814 are verythin, and are too thin to allow access to the connector assembly. Forexample, it would be very difficult, if not impossible to insert afastener, such a bolt in the thin walls of the seat back 814 or to mounta connector in arm 810 after it was assembled in the factory. A blindconnector of the type employed herein solves that problem. FIG. 18 alsoshows another manner in which the seat deck 812 can be affixed to theback 814 and to the arms 810. Ribs 835 and 838 extend from the insidesurface of the arms 810 and the back 814 to support the deck 812 andallow fasteners to secure the sofa deck 812 to each of the ribs 835 and838.

FIGS. 19A and 19B show the manner in which the connector assembly 50comprising male connectors 70 and keyhole slots 60 can be used in amodular sofa 902. The connector assembly 50 can be used to interconnectmultiple seat backs 914A-F to seat decks 912A-E, as well as connectingthe sofa arms 910 to seat backs 914A and 914F. This embodimentdemonstrates that the connector assembly is not limited to use with anitem of furniture that can be assembled in only one configuration,because the modular components of sofa 902 can be assembled in a numberof different configurations. In this embodiment, the seat decks 912A-Eare connected using conventional fasteners, but the male connectors 70and keyhole slots 60 can also be incorporated into the seat componentsto connect the seat decks as well.

These examples show different items of furniture that can be assembledaccording to the principles of this invention and not fully inclusive.Other configurations can also be employed. For example, outdoor orrattan furniture can be assembled in this manner. Also as mentionedpreviously, use of the connector assembly is not limited to use withfurniture. For example, the connector assembly could be employed topermit easy assembly or disassembly of a retail display rack or someother fitting in which the frame comprises the complete item. Othersituations in which this connector assembly can be employed, andmodifications of the connector apparatus will also be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art. Other configurations could also be employedfor the sleeve forming a part of the male connector assembly. Forexample instead of a conical section, a truncated spherical or ballconfiguration could be employed, and the keyhole slot surface with whichit mates could be curved instead of beveled. Therefore the embodimentsof this invention depicted herein are merely representative and theinvention is instead defined by the following claims.

1. A male connector insertable in a keyhole slot to attach two members, the male fastener comprising: a bolt having a head on one end and threads adjacent one end thereof for securing the bolt to one member; a nonmetallic sleeve encircling the bolt, the nonmetallic sleeve having a hole extending between opposite ends of the nonmetallic sleeve, the diameter of the nonmetallic sleeve being large enough to receive the bolt without binding the nonmetallic sleeve relative to the bolt, the nonmetallic sleeve being symmetrical relative to the hole, the bolt being longer than a spacing between opposite ends of the nonmetallic sleeve; the nonmetallic sleeve comprising a cylindrical shank having an outer diameter greater than the bolt to form a bearing surface upon insertion into a narrower section of the keyhole slot; the nonmetallic sleeve also comprising an enlarged portion adjacent the cylindrical shank projecting radially outward beyond the cylindrical shank, the nonmetallic sleeve comprising means for engaging a portion of the keyhole slot to tighten the attachment of the male fastener to the keyhole slot and to provide a sturdier connection between the two frame members as the sleeve progresses through the narrower section of the keyhole slot.
 2. The male connector of claim 1 wherein the enlarged portion comprises a conical portion.
 3. The male connector of claim 1 further including a compressible washer surrounding the bolt and positioned adjacent the nonmetallic sleeve, so that as the enlarged portion of the nonmetallic sleeve progresses further into the narrower section of the keyhole slot the washer can be compressed.
 4. The male connector of claim 1 wherein the nonmetallic sleeve comprises a one-piece molded member including both the cylindrical shank and the conical portion.
 5. An apparatus including at least two components attachable by a detachable connection comprising: a keyhole slot formed in a first component, the keyhole slot having a bearing slot section extending from a larger entry section, the bearing slot section having a beveled surface in which the bearing slot section has a depth is smaller adjacent an innermore surface than adjacent an outermore surface; a female fastener on the second component; a male fastener attachable to the female fastener, the male fastener comprising a bolt with fastening means adjacent one end thereof engageable with the female fastener and a separate sleeve, the bolt being insertable through the sleeve, the sleeve having a sleeve cylindrical shank portion and a sleeve conical portion adjoining the sleeve shank portion, the sleeve conical portion diverging radially beyond the sleeve shank portion, the sleeve shank portion being dimensioned for receipt within the bearing slot section of the keyhole slot with the sleeve conical portion engaging the beveled surface on the keyhole slot to tighten the male fastener relative to the keyhole slot and to tighten the two components together.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the female fastener comprises a nut attached to the second component.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the keyhole slot is a part of a first frame member comprising a part of the first component.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first frame member comprises a wooden member with the keyhole slot being cut in the first frame member.
 9. The apparatus of claim 5 further including at least one compressible washer mounted on the bolt.
 10. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the keyhole slot is formed in a nonwooden member attachable to a first frame member comprising part of the first component.
 11. An item of furniture suitable for field assembly comprising: a first component including a first frame member adjacent one end of the first component, the first frame member having at least one keyhole slot formed therein; a second component including a second frame member disposable in opposed relationship to the first frame member when the first component is positioned for assembly to the second component, the second frame member including a female fastener disposable opposite the at least one keyhole slot when the first component is positioned for assembly to the second component; and a connector for assembling the first component to the second component, the connector including a male fastener attachable to the female fastener and a sleeve through which the male fastener is insertable, the sleeve including a radially projecting section, the sleeve being symmetrical about a male fastener member, the sleeve extending beyond the second component and insertable into the keyhole slot in the first component without reference to orientation of the sleeve relative to the male fastener member so that the first component can be assembled to the second component in the field by first attaching the connector to the second component and then positioning the second component relative to the first component so that the sleeve is insertable into an alignment section of the keyhole slot, subsequent relative movement of the first and second components moving the sleeve laterally of its axis into a portion of the keyhole slot narrower than the alignment section to secure the first and second components together during field assembly of the item of furniture.
 12. The item of furniture of claim 11 wherein the radially projecting section of the sleeve comprises a conical section.
 13. The item of furniture of claim 12 wherein the portion of the keyhole slot narrower than the alignment section is beveled so that insertion of the conical section into the beveled portion of the keyhole slot will further tighten the first component relative to the second component.
 14. The item of furniture of claim 13 wherein the beveled portion of the keyhole slot is formed by routing a wooden frame member.
 15. The item of furniture of claim 11 wherein the female fastener comprises a T-nut secured to the second frame member.
 16. The item of furniture of claim 15 wherein the T-nut is secured to an interior face of the second frame member in alignment with a hole extending through the second frame member.
 17. The item of furniture of claim 11 including at least one washer for positioning the sleeve relative to the keyhole slot when the first component is assembled to the second component.
 18. The item of furniture of claim 17 wherein at least one washer comprises a compressible member.
 19. The item of furniture of claim 11 comprising an upholstered item of furniture comprising first and second upholstered components with upholstery layers covering at least a portion of the first and second frame members, and with an upholstery layer on the first frame members covering the connector when assembly of the item of furniture is complete.
 20. The item of furniture of claim 1 comprising a sofa and wherein the first component comprises a sofa back and the second component comprises a sofa arm, wherein the sofa back includes multiple keyhole slots formed in a first wooden frame member on each end of the sofa back.
 21. An upholstered sofa shippable in pieces and suitable for field assembly, the sofa comprising: a sofa back; a pair of sofa arms; a sofa deck; connectors positionable between the sofa back and the sofa arms and comprising means for attaching the sofa arms to the sofa back, the connectors being covered by the sofa arms and the sofa back after assembly of the sofa arms to the sofa back; wherein the sofa deck is upholstered on front, top and sides thereof, but includes one or more open compartments dimensioned for storage of sofa components side by side in the open compartments for shipment.
 22. The upholstered sofa of claim 21, wherein the sofa deck includes a central frame member dividing the open compartment means into two side by side compartments for receiving the sofa components for shipment.
 23. The upholstered sofa of claim 21 wherein keyhole slots are formed along opposite ends of the sofa back, the connectors being insertable into the keyhole slots to attach sofa arms on opposite ends of the sofa back.
 24. The upholstered sofa of claim 21 wherein the connectors comprise male threaded members inserted through a sleeve, the male threaded members being attachable to female threaded members in one of the sofa back or the sofa arms to position the sleeve in an exposed position, the sleeve being received within aligned keyhole slots to attach the sofa arms to the sofa back.
 25. The upholstered sofa of claim 24 wherein the sleeve comprises a conical sleeve member.
 26. The upholstered sofa of claim 25 wherein the keyhole slots include a beveled slot section, the conical sleeve being received within the bevel slot section to tighten the sofa arms to the sofa back.
 27. The upholstered sofa of claim 26 keyhole slots are formed on opposite ends of the sofa back and the connectors are attachable to the sofa arms with the conical sleeves initially exposed.
 28. The upholstered sofa of claim 27 wherein the sofa back and the sofa arms are upholstered for shipment, the connectors being covered by upholstered layers when the sofa arms are assembled to the sofa back.
 29. The upholstered sofa of claim 28 wherein the sofa back is insertable into a birdsmouth slot on the sofa back after assembly of the sofa arms to the sofa back, the sofa back being attachable to front sections of the sofa arms during assembly of the upholstered sofa.
 30. The upholstered sofa of claim 29 wherein the sofa back is open for receiving sofa cushions during shipment, and sofa back has a length and width substantially the same as the sofa deck so that the sofa back including cushions can be placed over the sofa deck, with sofa arms positioned therein, for shipment together.
 31. A process of fabricating an upholstered sofa comprising the steps of fabricating separate upholstered components including an upholstered sofa back, upholstered sofa arms and an upholstered sofa deck, the method comprising the steps of: fabricating the upholstered sofa back by assembling a back frame including frame post members having at least one keyhole slot and applying upholstery material over the frame leaving access to the keyhole slots on opposite sides of the sofa back; fabricating the sofa arms by assembling an arm fine including female fastener members on the arm frame in position for subsequent alignment with the keyhole slots when the sofa arms are subsequently assembled to the sofa back and applying upholstery material to the arm frames leaving access in alignment with the female fastener; fabricating the sofa deck for subsequent assembly to the sofa back and the sofa arms; packing the separate upholstered components in an unassembled configuration for shipment, and including connectors for shipment; whereby assembly of the upholstered sofa can be completed in a separate field assembly process after delivery of the separate upholstered components.
 32. The process of claim 31 wherein the sofa arms are positioned in compartments formed on the underside of the sofa deck when packed in the unassembled configuration for shipment.
 33. The process of claim 31 wherein the connectors are included in an unassembled configuration for shipment for subsequent use in field assembly of the upholstered sofa, each connector including a male fastener member attachable to one of the female fasteners and a sleeve mountable on the male fastener member, each sleeve being insertable into one of the keyhole slots for subsequent field assembly of the upholstered sofa. 